After taking a pause from the project in 2022, the team reconvened in 2023 with funding from the Monuments Project, a special grant-making initiative of the Mellon Foundation. The theme of the 2023 memorials was “The Many Losses from COVID-19.” Our team worked with community partners to install a memorial at Green-Wood Cemetery in May 2023 and at Mano a Mano’s Día de Muertos celebration in October 2023.
In preparation for the memorials, we organized five community workshops designed to support lead artists from each partner organization. These were held on March 13, 2023 at City Lore in Manhattan; March 15 at Jamaica Public Library in Queens; March 16 at Brooklyn Central Library; March 17 at La Colmena on Staten Island; and a March 28 virtual workshop on Zoom. Jenny Romaine, Sandra Bell, Megan Paradis Hanley, and Juan Aguirre co-facilitated these workshops.
On May 11, 2023, the day that the Biden administration declared an end to the COVID state of emergency, we held a memorial activation event at Green-Wood Cemetery. The activation ceremony was curated by Elena Martinez and Kay Turner. Attendees formed a procession from the cemetery’s Gothic Arch Main Entrance to its Historic Chapel, followed by the City Lore Poem Mobile. The ceremony took place on the Historic Chapel steps and featured remarks, performances, and a participatory ritual of remembrance. The livestream of the activation ceremony can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f9FpVXvbD8.
2023 Green-Wood Community Partners included: Arab American Association of New York; Bangladesh Institute of Performing Arts; Casa Yurumein; The City’s “Missing Them”; La Colmena; Guyana Cultural Association; International Dancer Zaman; Jews of Color arts workshop (“The Workshop”); Jews of Jackson Heights; Long Covid Justice; Mixteca; Museo de los Sures; New Moon Sisters; Parent Child Relationship Association; PRY Safe; Purelements Evolution in Dance; Women’s Empowerment Coalition of New York; The W.O.W. Project; and Yaffa Cultural Arts.
Performers & ritual leaders: drummers Oreste Abrantes (lead drummer), Zafer Tawil (Palestinian dabka style drummer), Uthpala Erishan Jayakody Aarachchi; Fred Miller (Dirge Drummer), Carlos Rienzo (Colombian drummer) and Winston “Jeggae” Hoppie; Salieu Suso (Kora player and singer); Yuli Beeri (Jewish singer); Beareather Reddy (African American blues singer); Garifuna and Abeihamani women singers Luz Soliz, featuring Eva Mejia, Sari Ventura, Aida Roches, and Yesenia Ventura; Mazarte Mexican Dance (Martha Zarate—Director); Alexa Avilés; Long Covid Justice; and Kay Turner.
Part of Mano a Mano’s Día de Muertos Celebration (St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery)
Community Partners included: Archive Based Creative Arts, Inside Change from Within, Oye Group, and St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery.
Filter 2023 Archive
Bronx Garifuna abeihamani group perform a song for the ancestors during the activation ceremony for “The Many Losses from COVID-19” memorial at Green-Wood, 25th St. & 5th ave., Brooklyn, NY, on May 11, 2023. Performers are Eva Mejia, Sari Ventura, Aida Roches, and Yesenia Ventura. Photographed by Robin Michals. (SP_MEM_IM.2318.A)
Ceremony attendees add to the memorial altar at the activation ceremony for “The Many Losses from COVID-19” memorial at Green-Wood, 25th St. & 5th ave., Brooklyn, NY, on May 11, 2023. Photographed by Robin Michals. (SP_MEM_IM.2347.A)
Martha Zarate & Mazarte dance to close the ceremony for “The Many Losses from COVID-19” memorial at Green-Wood, 25th St. & 5th ave., Brooklyn, NY, on May 11, 2023. Photographed by Robin Michals. (SP_MEM_IM.2377.A)
Mano a Mano’s ofrenda honoring the dead at the annual Día de Muertos celebration. Created by the Mano a Mano, on display from October 26–November 13, 2023, at St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery, New York, NY. Photographed by Erik McGregor. (SP_MEM_IM.0400.A)
Memorial created by Archive Based Creative Arts (of Parole Preparation Project) at Día de Muertos memorial at St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery, New York, NY, up from October 26–November 13, 2023. Created by Archive Based Creative Arts with lead artists Willie Kearse & Tyler Morse and coordinators La-Meik Taylor, Sara G. Kielly, Leonard Wilson, George Smith, Peter McHugh, Willie Kearse, and Tyler Morse. Contributing Artists: Curtis Parker, Roberto Bruno, Matthew Almond, Zarah Coombs, Pamela Smart, Lamarr Little, Louis Martino, Tracy J. White, Nigel Saunders, Al-Sharifya Robinson, Peter McHugh, Maleek Johnson, Willie Kearse, Michael J. Jova, Delroy Thorpe, Jermaine Estwick, Leonard Wilson. Photographed by Erik McGregor. (SP_MEM_IM.0404.A)
Jenny Romaine & Megan Paradis Hanley speak about the project at Mano a Mano’s Día de Muertos celebration at St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery, New York, NY, on October 28, 2023. Photographed by Erik McGregor. (SP_MEM_IM.0431.A)
Archive Based Creative Arts led an activation ceremony for at Día de Muertos memorial, lifting up the experiences of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated NTLM collaborators, at St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery, New York, NY, on October 28, 2023. Photographed by Erik McGregor. (SP_MEM_IM.0435.A)
2023 Día de Muertos memorial at St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery, New York, NY, up from October 26–November 13, 2023. Created by the NTLM team, Archive Based Creative Arts, Inside Change, and Oye Group. Photographed by Erik McGregor. (SP_MEM_IM.0408.A)
Museum of modalities at the 2023 “The Many Losses from COVID-19” memorial workshop, organized by the NTLM team at La Colmena, Staten Island, NY, on March 18, 2023. Photographed by Megan Paradis Hanley. (SP_MEM_IM.2029.A)
A person studies Long Covid Justice’s memorial panel in the 2023 memorial “The Many Losses from COVID-19” at Green-Wood, 25th St. & 5th ave., Brooklyn, NY. Photographed by Erik McGregor between May 3–29, 2023. (SP_MEM_IM.2651.A)
Flyer for the May 11th Activation Ceremony for 2023 memorial “The Many Losses from COVID-19” at Green-Wood, 25th St. & 5th ave., Brooklyn, NY. Created by the NTLM team. (SP_MEM_TX.0279.A)
A passerby walking three dogs stops to read a panel in “The Many Losses from COVID-19” memorial at Green-Wood, 25th St. & 5th ave., Brooklyn, NY. Photographed by Erik McGregor between May 3–29, 2023. (SP_MEM_IM.2656.A)
Mary Feaster at installation of 2023 memorial “The Many Losses from COVID-19” at Green-Wood, 25th St. & 5th ave., Brooklyn, NY. Created by Mary Feaster and the NTLM team. Photographed by Erik McGregor on May 2, 2023. (SP_MEM_IM.2525.A)
Memorial Activation procession for “The Many Losses from COVID-19” memorial at Green-Wood, 25th St. & 5th ave., Brooklyn, NY, on May 11, 2023. Photographed by Robin Michals. (SP_MEM_IM.2263.A)
The front gate of Green-Wood at the 2023 memorial “The Many Losses from COVID-19” on 25th St. & 5th ave., Brooklyn, NY. Created by Mary Feaster and the NTLM team. Photographed by Erik McGregor on May 2, 2023. (SP_MEM_IM.2532.A)
Green-Wood’s Death Educator Gabrielle Gatto speaks at the activation ceremony for “The Many Losses from COVID-19” memorial at Green-Wood, 25th St. & 5th ave., Brooklyn, NY, on May 11, 2023. Photographed by Robin Michals. (SP_MEM_IM.2293.A)
2023 Installation team working on the 2023 memorial “The Many Losses from COVID-19” at Green-Wood, 25th St. & 5th ave., Brooklyn, NY. Photographed by Erik McGregor on May 2, 2023. (SP_MEM_IM.2535.A)
Lina Montoya installing a memorial made with the Staten Island Museum for the 2023 memorial “The Many Losses from COVID-19”, Green-Wood, 25th St. & 5th ave., Brooklyn, NY. Memorial panel created by Lina Montoya. Photographed by Erik McGregor on May 2, 2023. (SP_MEM_IM.2548.A)
Museo los Sures installation team in front of their panel in the 2023 memorial “The Many Losses from COVID-19”, Green-Wood, 25th St. & 5th ave., Brooklyn, NY. Memorial panel created by the Museo los Sures. Photographed by Erik McGregor on May 2, 2023. (SP_MEM_IM.2562.A)
Long Covid Justice memorial panel in the 2023 memorial “The Many Losses from COVID-19” at Green-Wood, 25th St. & 5th ave., Brooklyn, NY. Memorial panel created by the Long Covid Justice with Lead Artist Anna Roberts-Gevalt. Photographed by Erik McGregor on May 2, 2023. (SP_MEM_IM.2571.A)
Long Covid Justice team: JD Davids, Jenna Bitar, Anna Roberts-Gevalt, and others in front of their panel in the 2023 memorial “The Many Losses from COVID-19” at Green-Wood, 25th St. & 5th ave., Brooklyn, NY. Memorial panel created by the Long Covid Justice with Lead Artist Anna Roberts-Gevalt. Photographed by Erik McGregor on May 2, 2023. (SP_MEM_IM.2573.A)
PRY Safe installation team working on their panel in the 2023 memorial “The Many Losses from COVID-19” at Green-Wood, 25th St. & 5th ave., Brooklyn, NY. Memorial panel created by the PRY Safe with lead artist Una Osato. Photographed by Erik McGregor on May 2, 2023. (SP_MEM_IM.2581.A)
Detail of PRY Safe panel in the 2023 memorial “The Many Losses from COVID-19” at Green-Wood, 25th St. & 5th ave., Brooklyn, NY. Memorial panel created by the PRY Safe with lead artist Una Osato. Photographed by Erik McGregor on May 2, 2023. (SP_MEM_IM.2590.A)
WOW Project Installation team in front of their panel in the 2023 memorial “The Many Losses from COVID-19” at Green-Wood, 25th St. & 5th ave., Brooklyn, NY. Memorial panle created by the WOW Project with lead artist Denise Zhou. Photographed by Erik McGregor on May 2, 2023. (SP_MEM_IM.2599.A)
Detail of WOW Project memorial panel in the 2023 memorial “The Many Losses from COVID-19” at Green-Wood, 25th St. & 5th ave., Brooklyn, NY. Memorial panel created by the WOW Project with lead artist Denise Zhou. Photographed by Erik McGregor on May 2, 2023. (SP_MEM_IM.2602.A)
Women’s Empowerment Coalition installing their panel in the 2023 memorial “The Many Losses from COVID-19” at Green-Wood, 25th St. & 5th ave., Brooklyn, NY. Memorial panel created by the Women’s Empowerment Coalition with Lead Artist Weam Alrubaye. Photographed by Erik McGregor on May 2, 2023. (SP_MEM_IM.2618.A)
Women’s Empowerment Coalition in front of their memorial panel in the 2023 memorial “The Many Losses from COVID-19” at Green-Wood, 25th St. & 5th ave., Brooklyn, NY. Created by the Women’s Empowerment Coalition with Lead Artist Weam Alrubaye. Photographed by Erik McGregor on May 2, 2023. (SP_MEM_IM.2624.A)
Jenny Romaine working on the 2023 memorial “The Many Losses from COVID-19” at Green-Wood, 25th St. & 5th ave., Brooklyn, NY. Photographed by Erik McGregor on May 2, 2023. (SP_MEM_IM.2627.A)
Workshop with partners for the 2023 memorial “The Many Losses from COVID-19” organized on March 14, 2023 by the NTLM team at City Lore, New York, NY. Photographed by Eva Pedriglieri. (SP_MEM_IM.2008.A)
Darkin Brown sets up display at 2023 “The Many Losses from COVID-19” memorial workshop, organized by the NTLM team at La Colmena, Staten Island, NY, workshop on March 18, 2023. Photographed by Megan Paradis Hanley. (SP_MEM_IM.2037.A)
